My Leech Allergy

I was forced to go camping in the middle of the jungle with spiders and leeches and all sorts of living things that aren't human. I had to, it was for my college credits.

I wasn't actually forced, not really, since they had informed us and prepared us beforehand. But no amount of preparation could've made me ready for those 10 days in the wilderness.

It wasn't actually the wilderness. It was a botanical sanctuary where all sorts of plants grew and all sorts of organisms lived. That doesn't mean it wasn't a jungle. We had to trek up and down hills just to get to our camping spot.

I don't know what our college expected us to learn from this trip but now I know how to start a fire, how to identify different spiders and their webs, and that I have a leech allergy.

It isn't as bad as it sounds. Apparently the time we visited wasnt leech season, but there were still plenty of leeches clinging to our shoes every time we stepped out. I wasn't bitten until the 4th or 5th day, and by then whenever one of us got bitten we would celebrate.

We had my celebration and then I woke up the next morning to my calf being swollen and sore. At first I thought it was common, like of course my blood got sucked out something had to happen. But then the day went by and it only got worse.

I don't think I understood how bad it was initially. My classmates (camping mates?) were all worried so we asked the faculty what to do. I got a cream and it provided some relief, but my leg was still an angry red bump.

My next bite confirmed that it was an allergy, or actually a sort of reaction. The people living there explained that sometimes leech saliva can react with our body or blood, which causes it to swell like that. The funniest part was that it only happened to me.

Thankfully it wasn't anything serious. We continued our days of scavenging (cooking our own food), wandering (exploring the places), and washing (the bathrooms were made or rock and had freshwater supply from the river).

It was a crazy experience. Looking back at it, I'm so grateful I had that opportunity. I learnt a lot about nature and humans, most of all about myself and my weird reaction to leeches. They are silly little things.